Published: Wednesday, 10th March, 2010 5:00pm

Importance of protecting existing roads

Protecting the road network after a severe winter is the objective of Cavan Co. Council, it said at the March meeting on Monday, when director of service Joe McLoughlin presented a breakdown of the 2010 roadworks programme.

He revealed that of the €23.5m in funding for national and non-national roads in Cavan this year, €3.2m (14%) comes from council resources. He pointed out that the ratepayers were contributing to this funding because some might think that there was little relationship between what they paid in their rates and the services provided, when this was not the case.

The council grant for regional and local roads had increased from €12.1m to €12.5m, against the backdrop of a 30% cut in funding for roads nationally. If the national cut had been applied to Cavan it would have incurred a reduction of €3.5m in the roads grant, Mr. McLoughlin pointed out.

Cllr. Sean Smith said it was a considerable sum given the tough economic times and he was delighted the council had more discretion in the use of the money. Notwithstanding the severe winter, he was confident the funding would do an enormous amount of work. He welcomed the allocation for Ballyconnell inner relief road and for Belturbet bypass as well as for regional routes in his area.

Cllr. John O'Hare was disappointed with the allocation for non-national roads. After an horrendous winter it would take €5.3m to get the roads back into the condition and he believed the council should seek additional funding to meet that need.

Cllr. John Paul Feeley thought this was part of a huge increase in expenditure on roads in recent years, and referred to a meeting that Cllr. Smith and he had with Fred Barry of the National Road Authority (NRA), when they impressed upon him the importance of the Belturbet bypass in terms of road safety.

Cllr. Feeley welcomed the funding for roads in his area. (This was a feature throughout the discussion, as councillors referred to road schemes approved in their areas.)

Cllr. Danny Brady complimented the council executive and staff for the amount of work undertaken over the months of frost and snow. He was hopeful that such work would ensure that the roads of Cavan would not deteriorate and the money now allocated would lead to further improvements.

Cllr. Charlie Boylan said it was taxpayers' money and it was up to the government to distribute it fairly. The public were entitled to a decent roadworks programme, he said.

Cllr. Gerry Murray welcomed the allocation for road safety measures, such as those at Drung and Aghadreenagh NS, and complimented the work of his former colleague on the council, Clifford Kelly, a member of the NRA.

Cllr. Paddy O'Reilly said that the council's allocation was down €5.5m on last year, and complained, like other councillors, about the reduction of €606,000 in the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) grant, which did important work around the county. They were reduced to two schemes and would have to make representations to the minister on the matter.

Cllr. Paddy O'Reilly said he wasn't supporting the road programme in his area because for the second year in a row the crossing at Virginia NS did not receive approval.

That road was a death trap; 148 children walk to the school each day and of those 118 have to cross the Bailieboro road, he said.

Cllr. Des Boylan hoped the allocation wouldn't be reduced further as it had been last year. The funding the council received was inadequate, especially after the difficulties created by the weather. He was sad to see the LIS being cut and he recalled being informed years ago that some in the Department of Finance wished to do away with it.

Cllr. Maura Maguire Lynch welcomed the roads funding but was disappointed at what happened in her area last year - a road was earmarked for repair but was not done because funding was withdrawn. She referred to the case of a man who paid his contribution under the LIS 12 months ago and now with the curtailment in the funding she wished to know what would happen to his money.

Cllr. Aiden Boyle was happy with the number of roads approved for repair in his area and complimented the local engineer for the case he had prepared. Cllr. Paddy O'Reilly said that with the M3 opening shortly there would be a serious traffic management problem in Virginia and the council should request assistance. Councillors Des Boylan and Danny Brady agreed.

Mr. McLoughlin replied to the different points raised: the council would look at the pedestrian crossing at Virginia NS again.

Normally for such projects it liked to get special funding but if the work had to be done the council would have to go ahead and do it, taking funding from other sources.